Professional, healthcare websites with intelligent features

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, it’s essential to periodically reassess assumptions and default methods of operation. We recently conducted such a review concerning our approach to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). For those unfamiliar, SEO involves a range of work both on the website and on third-party websites, typically aimed at improving rankings within search results.

Our findings indicate that while the logic driving SEO strategies remains sound, one area presents a persistent challenge for most search engine optimisation agencies. This challenge represents a potential improvement area that we have decided to explore and have since implemented for new SEO campaigns.

We believe the issue is strategic by nature. It’s now widely accepted that achieving a page 1 position is the benchmark for success, and improvements to page 1 positions become the primary focus of efforts in an SEO campaign. This focus makes intuitive sense to clients since there is a correlation between achieving page 1 positions and the overall success of the campaign. Furthermore, site visitor numbers increase exponentially as the position nears number 1 on page 1 of search results, making page 1 a primary goal.

After careful reflection, we’ve concluded that while page 1 positions remain an important metric to track, they don’t present the full picture. Focusing solely on position distracts from what should truly be the ultimate metric for success: how many site visitors contact you.

In analytics terms, we refer to this as “conversions.” This term is easily recognizable in e-commerce as a sale. However, it’s equally applicable to practice websites because any goal state achievement can be defined as a conversion. In our context, conversions include clicks on phone numbers or specific web-form submissions. We can track and report these conversions as they are the clearest indicators that visitors are engaging with you.

While we report on Google ranking improvements, we view this as a requirement for achieving our ultimate goal. Improved rankings typically mean more traffic, but we aim for not just increased traffic, but more relevant traffic. This focus is where many search engine optimisation companies fall short, leading to downstream issues with the ultimate metric.

By targeting the right audience, we achieve more relevant traffic and increase the likelihood of qualified visitors contacting you. For onsite work, ensuring that landing pages are optimized for target keywords and nudge relevant visitors towards conversion is crucial. For offsite work, ensuring that referring websites are reputable and relevant is vital, as well-crafted posts and referral links drive appropriate visitors to the site.

Our new campaigns report on a comprehensive range of factors: search engine optimisation rankings, traffic, and conversions. We monitor both month-to-month variations, which should trend positively, as well as the overall improvement from the campaign’s start.

Understanding that conversions represent the final step in the user journey on the website explains why conversion numbers might not seem as impressive compared to overall traffic numbers. By definition, conversion numbers are a subset of overall traffic numbers, as not all visitors are ready or willing to engage.

Ultimately, where we focus our attention is significant, as it can significantly enhance your SEO campaign outcomes, especially in industries like healthcare, where SEO for healthcare professionals can be a game-changer in connecting with the right audience and improving the bottom line.